Taxonomic revision of the Spilomelinae (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae s. l.) of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Author
Bernard Landry
text
Revue suisse de Zoologie
2016
123
2
315
399
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.155309
b195c5ca-7f2b-4f1b-a9a9-c1095c95d012
0035-418
155309
9ED8B8D5-ADA1-4B53-A1D3-0F75F889A179
Agathodes designalis
Guenée, 1854
Figs 1
,
92
,
138
Agathodes designalis
Guenée, 1854
: 209
-210. ‒
Peck
et al.
, 1998
: 227
. ‒
Causton
et al.
, 2006
: 140
. ‒
Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2015
.
Material examined:
Holotype
:
♂
, not dissected, with abdomen in gelatine capsule (
BMNH
).
Other specimens
:
9 ♂
,
6 ♀
from the
Galápagos Islands
: –
Fernandina
: SW side, crater rim, GPS:
1341 m
elev[ation].,
S 00° 21.910’
,
W 91° 34.034’
. –
Isabela
:
3 km
N S[an]to Tomas;
11 km
N Puerto Villamil. –
Santa Cruz
: Charles Darwin Research Station, Barranco,
20 m
elev.; transition zone, house of L[azaro]. Roque, GPS elev.
137 m
,
S 00° 42.595’
,
W 90° 19.196’
; Finca Vilema,
2 km
W Bella Vista; Finca S[teve]. Devine; Media Luna, pampa zone. –
Santiago
: Aguacate [camp],
520 m
elev. Deposited in
CDRS
,
CNC
,
MHNG
.
Diagnosis:
The forewing colour, markings and narrowness (
Fig. 1
) will readily separate this species from any other in the
Galápagos
. The wingspan of the
Galápagos
specimens is between
32 to 33.5 mm
. There are 13 other species in the genus, some of which look similar to. designalis, but only one,. transiens Munroe, described from
Bolivia
, occurs in South America. However, this species is larger (
holotype
male
39 mm
), its forewing costal and basal areas are purplish grey, the forewing reniform and orbicular spots are fully developed, and in male genitalia the uncus is more strongly developed than in. designalis and other species, the valva is broadly rounded, and the tegumen lacks the paired posterolateral processes. The female of. transiens is unknown. With an average of
30 mm
in wingspan
Agathodes monstralis
Guenée
, found in the southern
USA
,
Mexico
and
Central
America is slightly smaller than. designalis, its hindwing dorsally differs in the colouration, uniformly pale brown and slightly pinkish toward apex, and the males lack the enlargement at the base of the antennae [see
Sourakov
et al
. (2016)
for more details].
Biology:
Known host plants are mostly in the
Fabaceae
, especially genus
Erythrina
(
Robinson
et al.
, 2014
)
. In the
Galápagos
the species has been found in highly anthropized habitats (e.g. farms on
Santa Cruz
) to pristine ones (e.g. on Fernandina) ranging from almost sea level (
20 m
elevation) to the crater rim at
1341 m
in elevation on Fernandina and collecting dates are in February to April.
Distribution:
Described from
Brazil
, this species is found from
Central
America south to
Argentina
(
Sourakov
et al
., 2016
)
. In the
Galápagos
it has only been found so far on the four islands mentioned above, but it undoubtedly occurs more widely.
Remarks:
Sourakov
et al
. (2016)
showed that
Agathodes designalis
and. monstralis Guenée are separate species. Thus, host plant records in the literature (e.g.
Robinson
et al.
, 2014
) may apply to either one in the zone of contact in
Central
America.